Open-front refrigerated display case



g' 1966 HENRY 3,263,745

OPENFRONT RBFRGERATED DISPLAY CASE Fi1ed June 15 1963 2 Sheetssheet 1 AM ES HENRY INVENTOR' Aug. 2, 1966 HENRY OPENFRONT REFRGERATED DISPLAY CASE Filed June 13 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ing where he temperature of the air is norInally fe1a tively high.

In the construction shown in I(. the invention is emp10yed in CInbination With 'tWO display cases 40- and 4 z Which are p0sitioned back to back A common Warm air duct means is emp10yed With a veftical 0rtion 44 extendin downwaTd between the cases froIn a oint adjacent the tops 4 0f the cases to lower opp0sitely directed horizonta1 portions 48 'and 50' The horiz0nta1 p0ftions of the Warm air duct are pfovided With outlet openings 5z and 54 adjacent the fronts Of the' Tespective cases A bwer 5 Serves to force relatively vvarm ai1 ffon1 above the case dOvvnvvad through the vertical poftion 44 and means Such as a damper 58 may be employed for contr011ing the alT1oun't of air discharged through either horizontal portion 48 0r 50' In this Way, a Single warm air duct n1eans may be emloyed With two display caseS. 1Oe0veT One case may be 0pefated at a lower temperature or in a dieTent manner and yet the aiSle temperatures in front of both cases can be Sllitably m0died 'to overc0fne excessive Spillage 0f c0ld air the reint0 In each of the forIns of the invention shown and de- Scribed, the air entering the Warn1 air duct means is dfawn from a point exterior to the display case and is 11I1Tefrig erated so that but little additiona1 heat need be added theret0 in 01 deT to eect the desi...red increase in temperature of the air in the Space or aisle in front Of the display case It is, Of course, possible to locate the ()utlet openings 32 32' and 32 at any Suitable p0int or p0ints a(- jacent the front of the display case 1Ievertheless, Such outlets are preferab1y'p0sitioned in or adjacent the 10Wer front Wall l() of the case and sefve t0 direct Warn1 air in a direction vvhich Will Seve to counteract the effect Of any cold or refrigerated ail` Which Inay spill over the upper edge lz 0f the lower front wall 10' 0f the display case 01 Ovv outward from the front access opening 14 0f the case.

It Will, thlls, be apparent that numerous changes in the form, construction and 10cation Of the VarIn air duct means may be made, and the vvarm Vail, vvaste heat or added heat utilized in raising the temperature Of the ail' may be derived from any Suitable or prefefred Sou'rce. In view thereof, it should be underst00d 'hat the paT- ticular e'mbodim!ents of the invention shovvn in the dravvings and described above are intended t0 be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the Scope of the invention` I clajm:

1- In a Tefrigerated dis lay case having a display space `therein, Said case having an insulated base, an insuated rear vvall, a top, a 10Wer front wall having the upper edge there0f Spaced from Sajd top and c00perating With Said top to dene a normally open access opening in the front of Said display case, and, means for refrigerating and ciT- culating air within said display spaoe, the con1bination of means for overcoming the effect of any spillage of Tefrigerated air from said access opening into the area in front of said case, c0mprising, duct nleans for nonrefrigerated air extending adjacent but on the exteriof of Said rear Wall and base Of the display case, Said duct nleans having an inlet opening located adjacent the top of the caSe and an Outlet opening located in front Of the case beneath the upper edge of Said10wer front Wall of the case, and means for circulating air at a temperature above the temperature of the air circulated through the display Spa0e thfough said duct means and int0 'the area in ffont of the display case.

z. In a refrigerated display case having a display Space therein, said case having an insulated base, an insulated rear wall, 21- to a loweT front Wall having the upper edge thereof spaced from Said top and c00perating With said t0p to denne a norInally open access 0pening in the front of said display case, and means for refpigerating and circulating air Within Said display Space, the c0mbination of Ine'ans for overcon1ing the eect of any spillage of refrgerated air from Said access opening int0 the area in front of said case, c0mprising duct means for nonrefrigerated air extending adjacent but on the exterior of Said rear Wall and baSe of the diSplay case said duct nleans having an inlet opening located adjacent The top of the case and an outlet opening 10cated in front 0f the case beneath the upper edge 0f said lovver ffont Wa11 0f the case, means for circulatingair through said duct means t0 the area in front of said display case, and means for heating the air circulated th0ugh Said duct n1eans 3, In con1bination vvith two open front Self service refri gefated display cases arranged in back to back felation Ineans for overcoming the effect of any Spi1lage of refrigerated air fr0Tn the open fronts of said display cases into the area adjacent thereto, comprising duct -means for n0nrefrigerated air having a portion extending vertica1ly between said cases and having horizonta11y extending p0rtions communicating With Said vertical p0rtion and terrninating in outlet openings adjacent the fronts of said cases, and meanS for cicu1ating nonrefrigerated air through Said duct means 4. The combination as Set forth in claifn 3 vvherein n1eans are rovided fol' contr011ing the amount Of ail oWing from said vertical portion to the horizonta1 portions of Said duct Ineans' Refeences Ced by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 781 S36 l-1/l930 Brown 624 Z 246 999 6/1941 1I0rrison 6Z4j4 x Z,706,387 4/ 19 swanson 62Zjj X 2,8,760 10/l98 Simons 6226 X Z 86Z 369 12/19S8 Simons 9836 X 3,0Zj,68l 3/1962 Booth 6226S X 3,082,612 3/1963 Beckwith 62ZS6 X 

2. IN A REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE HAVING A DISPLAY SPACE THEREIN, SAID CASE HAVING AN INSULATED BASE, AN INSULATED REAR WALL, A TOP, A LOWER FRONT WALL HAVING THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF SPACED FROM SAID TOP AND COOPERATING WITH SAID TOP TO DEFINE A NORMALLY OPEN ACCESS OPENING IN THE FRONT OF SAID DISPLAY CASE, AND MEANS FOR REFRIGERATING AND CIRCULATING AIR WITHIN SAID DISPLAY SPACE, THE COMBINATION OF MEANS FOR OVERCOMING THE EFFECT OF ANY SPILLAGE OF REFRIGERATED AIR FROM SAID ACCESS OPENING INTO THE AREA IN FRONT OF SAID CASE, COMPRISING DUCT MEANS FOR NONREFRIGERATED AIR EXTENDING ADJACENT BUT ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID REAR WALL AND BASE OF THE DISPLAY CASE, SAID DUCT MEANS HAVING AN INLET OPENING LOCATED ADJACENT THE TOP OF THE CASE AND AN OUTLET OPENING LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE CASE BENEATH THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID LOWER FRONT WALL OF THE CASE, MEANS FOR CIRCULATING AIR THROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS TO THE AREA IN FRONT OF SAID DISPLAY CASE, AND MEANS FOR HEATING THE AIR CIRCULATED THROUGH SAID DUCT MEANS. 